爱是如何产生的?

There’s a moment in the Disney classic, Cinderella, when the ragamuffin1 heroine lays claim to2 her wayward3 glass slipper¹ and Prince Charming4 adoringly sweeps her into his arms and waltzes her away. It ’s a scene that draws longing² sighs from every woman who watches it.

　　Why? Romance. That ’s what it’s all about.

　　 I’ve often wondered how that intangible5 sense of true love and devotion makes the leap from celluloid6 to realit y. I know it happens. I’ve been around couples who have been marr ied for decades and still glow when they sit side by side, hands lovingly inter³ twined.

　　However as a child of divorce, and a divorcee myself, I also k now that the course of true love never runs smooth. In fact, Rocky Road might better entitle the majorit y of marriages I know.

　　But, last week a friend of mine told me a little secret. A tale of love that brought tears to my eyes and I must admit, a little envy to my heart.

　　Her story wasn’t about the latest piece of jewelr y that her husband gave her, or the flowers that he sent. For my friend’s husband passed away t wo years ago, just short of their fif tieth wedding anniversary.

　　So now at the age of seventy, she is alone. But, thanks to her loving spouse⁴, not always lonely.

　　For tucked away in drawers and cabinets throughout my friend’s home are love notes scripted by her husband, terms of endearment7 that he planted8 as romantic surprises for her during the course of their marriage.

　　 Over the years, she saved his sweet inscriptions⁵, often leaving them in their original hiding places. His loving sentiments tenderly played anew with each re-discovery.

　　 Now that he is gone, her life is a daily challenge of loving memories and sad yearning⁶ for this romantic man with whom she shared almost a half century of her life.

　　But in her indomitable way, my friend is continuing on with determination and enthusiasm. She is healthy and strong and lives each day with an interest in the world around her. She is surrounded by family and friends who support her and a community where she is acknowledged and respected. But most of all, she continues on with the inner knowledge that she is loved. Truly and totally.

　　 And any time she thinks otherwise, all she has to do is open a kitchen drawer or look in her bedroom nightstand for a little reminder⁷.

　　But somehow I think she k nows, even before she opens that drawer.

 

1 slipper   

n.拖鞋

参考例句：

• I rescued the remains of my slipper from the dog.我从那狗的口中夺回了我拖鞋的残留部分。
• The puppy chewed a hole in the slipper.小狗在拖鞋上啃了一个洞。

2 longing   

n.（for）渴望

参考例句：

• Hearing the tune again sent waves of longing through her.再次听到那首曲子使她胸中充满了渴望。
• His heart burned with longing for revenge.他心中燃烧着急欲复仇的怒火。

3 inter   

v.埋葬

参考例句：

• They interred their dear comrade in the arms.他们埋葬了他们亲爱的战友。
• The man who died in that accident has been interred.在那次事故中死的那个人已经被埋葬了。

4 spouse   

n.配偶(指夫或妻)

参考例句：

• Her spouse will come to see her on Sunday.她的丈夫星期天要来看她。
• What is the best way to keep your spouse happy in the marriage?在婚姻中保持配偶幸福的最好方法是什么？

5 inscriptions   

（作者）题词( inscription的名词复数 )； 献词； 碑文； 证劵持有人的登记

参考例句：

• Centuries of wind and rain had worn away the inscriptions on the gravestones. 几个世纪的风雨已磨损了墓碑上的碑文。
• The inscriptions on the stone tablet have become blurred with the passage of time. 年代久了，石碑上的字迹已经模糊了。

6 yearning   

a.渴望的；向往的；怀念的

参考例句：

• a yearning for a quiet life 对宁静生活的向往
• He felt a great yearning after his old job. 他对过去的工作有一种强烈的渴想。

7 reminder   

n.提醒物，纪念品；暗示，提示

参考例句：

• I have had another reminder from the library.我又收到图书馆的催还单。
• It always took a final reminder to get her to pay her share of the rent.总是得发给她一份最后催缴通知，她才付应该交的房租。